Municipal and household garbage or trash is normally delivered to a central location, and the combustible portion is disposed of by combustion in an incinerator. The type of incinerator which is used should be simple to maintain and operate, consume relatively small amounts of fuel, and produce ash or other residual waste products which are clean and readily disposable. In addition, however, it is important that the incinerator and associated apparatus operate in a clean manner, without producing from the garbage being incinerated and releasing into the atmosphere excessive amounts of air borne solid pollutants.
For simple and efficient operation of a solid garbage incinerator, it is desirable that the burning of garbage therein take place continuously over a substantial period of time of several hours, at a relatively rapid rate, with intermittent or continuous addition of further quantities of solid garbage to the already burning garbage in the incinerator. Loading the incinerator in a simple manner, while the garbage therein is burning, without allowing escape of excessive amounts of air borne solid material, presents problems.